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Margaret Atwood

fluffy bunny

fluffy bunny

Member
Well, she seems quite famous on this side of the pond :eek: I was just wondering if anyone here had read any of Atwood's work.

Where's a good place to start? Some people say 'Alias Grace,' some recommend 'The Blind Assassin,' whilst others suggest 'The Handmaid's Tale.'

How did people find the author's writing style and how does it compare to other authors writing in similar fields?
 
I've read The Handmaid's Tale and it was very good. Much better than that awful film. And I have The Blind Assassin sitting on my To Read pile, which I bought after I read Handmaid. So, as I've only read one of her books, I'd suggest starting with that one. :D
 
atwood

read handmaids tale to see what all the fuss was about. Enjoyed it - fits interestingly into the modern climate.

scared off reading Alias grace due to fellow book sellers and resultant book group comments.

Don't recall any particular literary style worth mentioning from handmaids, reminded me of a future shock story from 2000 ad, lol! the girl had to read it for her english course, she could probably give you a better commentary on it than me, involving words like feminist, men and pig etc.

ksky
 
Her Oryx and Crake is just out in paperback over here, and I've been eyeing it ever since. I'm certainly gonna buy it, it's just a matter of time.

Cheers, Martin :D
 
Blind assassain is really good. Handmaids tale is supposed to be ace as well but I can't find it anywhere :mad: and I wanted it to compare with Plato and all :mad:
 
Is Oryx and Crake worth buying?? i too spotted the paperback recently, and was considering buying it til i realised i had no money :(

Phil
 
Ooh, I remember money ...

Man, that takes me way back.

Ah, good times!

Cheers, Martin :D
 
Back when men were Real Men, women were Real Women, and small furry animals from Rized 5 were Real Small furry animals from Rized 5 :D

(Okay, so the quotes not exactly right, but you expect me to look it up!!)

Phil :)
 
Someone who isn't speaking to me anymore abandoned Oryx and Crake at my house. So I'll be reading it eventually.
 
Dammit, why cant people im not speaking too come and dump books at my house!! That'd be great!! :D

(Unless you actually really liked that person, which i guess wouldnt be that great :( But at least you'd have books! :))

Phil
 
That's not very exciting! :(

Nobody maims and kills for chocolate cookies anymore... What's the world coming to??!

Regards
SillyWabbit
 
Will someone please read Oryx & Crake and let me know if it's any good. There's a hardback copy of it at the local used book store that's been screaming at me to buy it for the last week now.

Wabbit, make it 2 cookies and I'd mame my own Mom. :D

RaVeN
 
Cassandra said:
Handmaids tale is supposed to be ace as well but I can't find it anywhere
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Really? They have tons of copies of it in all my local bookshops. It's one of the A level texts, so try looking in a shop near a college or school maybe.
 
Nope. I think all the a level people got them and I can't buy, no dosh, I have to borrow but they're all in use at school and the library doesn't have it. Yes it's an incredibly crap library.
 
fluffy bunny said:
Where's a good place to start? Some people say 'Alias Grace,' some recommend 'The Blind Assassin,' whilst others suggest 'The Handmaid's Tale.'
Click to expand...
fluffy bunny,

I adore Atwood! I wasn't fond of her at first, but she gradually grew on me.

The 3 books you name are all very different from each other. "The Handmaid's Tale" is a dystopic s/f story, and if you like science fiction, it's a classic you shouldn't miss. "The Blind Assassin" is one of my favourite reads from 2001 and exemplifies what I've grown to like about her writing - notably, her dry, rather dark humour and great observations about how women think. Not sure it's a good place to start, though. Of the 3, "Alias Grace" is my least favourite, but I still enjoyed it. It's probably one of her most accessible for those not accustomed to her writing.

So . . . to answer your question . . . I'd say try "Alias Grace" first, then "Handmaid's Tale". I also recommend "Oryx and Crake" (another sci-fi dystopia tale) and "The Robber Bride" if you decide you like her style.

Ell :)
 
I'm reading Oryx and Crake now> It's excellent, if not a bit depressing because of how real it is.

Handmaids Tail and Alias Grace were both excellent. It's been a long time since I read them, but I recall I enoyed them both immensely.

Blind Assasin on my "to read" list.

Atwood is awesome :)
 
Every time I 'accidentally' wander into a bookshop I grab the paperback edition of Oryx and Crake, and every time I end up putting it back.

Silly me.

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
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